Meanwhile in the Greenhouse - Velthemia bracteata

 

                                                         Oh ! No !

🌿 Shallow bowl planter - Alpines 🌿

 

I love my shallow bowl planter pot . It really does give me so much joy .

A bowl of little sweeties ! 

 I'm not sure if my plants are all actual Alpine plants , but they are all small and very well behaved .

Placed as they are up on an old sundial pedestal , I don't have to bend down very far to look at them . 

Sempervivums , Artemisia  treasured stones and sea shells .

Saxifraga and Irish Moss 

                 

   ........which has the most delicate teeny tiny fairy flowers .

Gentiana "Kingfisher " I can't wait to see this in flower again .

                 .................and lots of Sempervivums of many pretty colours .

Not forgetting that little Rose cutting ! I will take this out and re-pot it probably next month . It has two rosie red new shoots coming on it , so I know it has taken root .

I need to find something else to slip in there . I wonder if there is anything flowering right now . 

 That would be nice and another handful of horticultural grit .

              Any ideas ?     It has to be small 🌸🪻🌹🌻

                                    🌿 🌤️🌿

🌿Made a start !🌿

 

 I took all the bamboo canes down . The Hazel poles at each end have been up and held strong for two years and will now be broken up for kindling .

 I'll cut fresh hazel rods for next year . 

I have bundled them up 10 for the main Runner-bean frame and other bundles for teepees .

Tied up with the same shoe laces that I used to tie them onto the bean frame....in a simple bow..easy to pull undone and use again . 

These bundles make it easier for me to pull out again next year .

 These bundles will be hung up from ceiling of the shed .

Stopped for lunch . Came in with a last bundle of French beans and a few apples for Apple Cake .

This afternoon , I will carry on taking down the French bean X-Frame  . It is nice to be doing this job in the warm sunshine .

 If I left it another week or two , it could be a miserable job in the wind and the rain !

                                                       🌿☀️🌿 

Things to do today

 Today is the day I'm taking down the bean frames . Bamboo canes to be stored hanging up in the shed.

Scarlet Emperor Runner beans - fantastic harvest - but next year I want a less stringy variety .

Climbing French Beans  Blue Lake -fantastic harvest .

Dwarf French Beans - fantastic harvest .....forgotten which variety , need to check in my little red book !

We have had plenty to eat .

Tons of lovely beans now in the freezer ..very happy me !

                                                     🌿☀️🌿

                                  

💛 Sunrise this morning ☀️

 

Good Morning ! A slightly chilly start to the day , but look at that lovely sunrise and blue sky . 

It's going to be a lovely day ! 

                                                              🌿☀️🌿  

💛Opuntia Full Bloom 💛

 

                                                       🌿💛🌿

💛Opuntia bud update - opening 💛

 

After a chilly night the sun came up and this is at 2pm .There was heavy dew on the grass in the meadow but no frost . 

I wonder if it will open up any further ? I'll give another update later on .

                    I picked another lot of tomatoes ....very happy me !

Plenty of tomatoes this year and this Roma variety pleased me very much . I will be growing this variety again next year .

I have begun to clear out all of the tomato plants now , hanging up the green ones on a line to ripen up a bit more before bringing them in .

I just have one plant left in it's pot as I am hoping the tomatoes on it will fatten up a bit more .

 All the spent compost will go on the Butternut Squash bed .

 I have to clear it out because the men are coming back to fix the leaking ,badly fitting top window . 

I have to bring in all the cacti collection and rearrange them with our fossils and stones . There is one very precious stone which has gone missing . It is an ancient loom weight and means a lot to me . 

Anyway , yes , I am delighted with the harvest of tomatoes ,cucumbers and the sweet peppers .

It won't be long before we are starting all over again . 

In the veg trug the Winter Density Lettuces are doing o.k.......a couple have disappeared .

 I took up my husband's garlic , they are just one clove as they were planted way too close together , but still useable and smell delicious !

The lettuces in the shed are doing better and are bigger . I must remember to sow more .The cabbages are also going o.k in the safety of the shed .🦋🐛🪲

I need to tidy them all up a bit , take off the withered leaves and give them all a good rain water drink .

Does anyone else grow their cabbages in the shed ? lol ! Or is it just me ? 🪲🦋🐛

                                  Safe !               Safe in the shed ! 

                              Dasylirion , Aeonium and a huge Pregnant Onion .

Soon  , very soon , it will be time to move my less hardy plants into their shelter zones .The bananas have got to be taken up and put into a couple of big tubs with fresh compost to over winter in the wood store ....but not today . Feeling a little poorly . My daughter  has been decorating my bedroom and the smell of the paint has made me feel a bit sick . I have put bowls of Bicarbonate of soda around the room , I've been told it absorbs the fumes somehow . No idea how long this takes . 

Things to be done - find the big cloches to go over the Agaves and cut some big branches to go over this one as it is now too big for the cloche .

Get compost in for the Banana plants .

Order the Outside Tap covers .

Sow some more Lettuce seeds.

Pick and nosh the remaining Sweetcorn .

Pray over the Butternuts Squashes ----grow ---grow -----grow ! (looking pathetic right now ) but there's still time . They have until the end of October .

Clear the weeds out of the drive .

Take down the Runner-Bean/ French Bean Frames and put away all the bamboo canes into the shed .

Cut the Hazel branches that are rubbing against the garage roof tiles .Store for next years pea sticks and bean poles . 

Harvest my apples ...make Apple Cake .

Order seed catalogues - plan for next year .

Indoor Hyacinth Bulbs

 Purchase Sweet Pea seeds to sow in November - done !

The list is endless !

 Today's weather - 🌤️                                 

                                  🌿  Make it a great weekend all ! 🌿

                                       

Opuntia update

 

                               Opuntia update- September 12 2024

Last night was clear skies and chilly into the morning , but then the sun came out and she is beginning to open her petals .

We are forecast to have another chilly night 6 degrees C  /45 degrees F and then it is supposed to warm up again for a few days....aah...lovely sunshine  .

I'm afraid that if I move it now , then we will lose the flower bud .

I think Opuntias are fairly tough and it is fairly sheltered on this windowsill .  I think she will make it !

I just want to see it fully open then I will take it into the greenhouse . 

Oh .........o.k. I'll go find some fleece to throw over her !  

                                                   🌿💛🌿

The Swallows are still here .

Opuntia 🌵💚

 

While I was topping up the bird feeders yesterday ....thinking to myself what a disappointment this years window basket is this year . Those begonias were supposed to have been lovely big doubles .....I noticed an Opuntia cactus that I had just put there earlier in the year while the new greenhouse was being built .

(still waiting for the leaky window to be fixed .They promised to come and do it )

                           Opuntia ...can't remember the variety I've long lost the label .

I had forgotten all about it . It was never the most beautiful of plants . It has no spines....but be aware that it does have glochids !

But look ! It has a new leaf pad .....and what looks like a big fat bud coming !   

What should I do ?  Autumn is fast coming in now . Will it make it ? 

                Watch this space !

                                                  🌿💚🌿

p.s The swallows are still swooping .

 

Lol !

 

Starving !

 

Feed the birds - they'll make you chuckle !

 

While I was doing the washing up , I watched this pigeon trying to take grains and seeds from the bird feeder .

                He was struggling ! He couldn't quite reach .....lol !

So I went out and put some bird food on his "landing pad " .

                                Poor little thing was starving !   lol !   🌿

p.s the swallows are still here this morning .

Beach combing - Marazion

 

There is nothing like beach combing to take away all your worries and re-set the brain .

I always start off looking for nice fossils and stones . No fossils here , but Marazion is known for all the different and lovely semi precious stones that get washed up here .

but then I find myself drawn to all the beautiful sea weeds that have been thrown up onto the beach .

                     Look at those tiny white shells !

Never seen one like this before ! Look at that ! Beautiful !

Bladder wrack .....the only one I know the name of ! 

🌿I really must get myself a really ,seriously good U.K. botanical sea -weed identification book . Any recommendations ? 🌿

Return to stone treasure hunting .....

                                     Pockets full of stones !

                              My favourite ! 💚  This one came home with me !         

               All cares and worries gone !  Brain fully re-set !   lol !

                                                     🌿💚🌿

P.S.  The swallows are still here ! Not gone yet .